A Chimera's Cry
by Zaunite Koopa
Summary: A new monster has shown up in Zaun and ZAC wants to investigate it and take it down for the safety of the Zaunites. However, it appears that the monster's influence even stretches to the kingdom of the sewers... (Takes place after the story "Second Plague Rat")
1. Attack on the Bell Tower

Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong. Ding.

The fifth bell of the afternoon. It's almost time for dinner. I look through the various manholes above me and see the fresh scattered light from the yellow streetlamps from above. I hear a beautiful mess of noises coming from the cracks. A woman feels accomplished with her latest bargain at the commercia store. A man is relieved that the week is over and that he can spend time with his family at a restaurant nearby. A child laughs as he goes on the merry-go-round at the center of town. My green skin tingles in delight within the comfortable warm atmosphere as the two of us walk through the dark, lifeless sewers underneath.

"Look, Scratch! You wanted to know what my favorite place was, right?" I whisper, looking to my left, but he doesn't seem to notice. He just looked up, squinting at the light and trying to make sense of the noise. I tap on his shoulder. His head turned instantly. He stares at me with beady eyes, keeping his chipped brown ears high for his sociopathic creator. He still holds the scars of the experiments on his brown fur. Most of them were located at his throat and mouth which were covered by a long green scarf. I bend down and place a hand on his left ear. "Hey.. Twitch isn't here, pal. No need to worry. He's probably down in his lair doing something stupid." I said with a hint of disdain. "He's not our problem right now. I wouldn't choose the most dangerous place for my favorite sidekick." I rubbed his head some . He leans to my body and his breathing slows. His fur feels warms as it touches my body. I bring him closer, hearing him purr in happiness as if all the dangers in the world are gone. I look up into the light as the shadows of legs walking from place to place becomes more apparent. Suddenly, I hear the sound of a grumbling stomach below me. I look down to Scratch as he does to me.

"Guess it's time to get some dinner." I let go of him. "Ok.. Bet you're waiting to get up there! I can't wait for you to see it! Got your camouflage ready?"

He nods yes.

"Your magic?"

He nods.

"Lemme see it."

The opens his right palm. Suddenly, a green light begins to flash out of it, forming an unstable, malleable ball. The hand grows warm and the sewers are alit at its presence, reaching the cracks that lead to the surface..

I close the palm quickly. "Good. No hurting others. And only use it if things go bad. If the bad people are threatening ya. Ok?"

He nods yes. I smiled. With that said, I led him towards the manhole farthest away from the people. I open it, allowing the yellow light to brighten up the tunnels. I climb up first and feel the dry surface ground. I look back, seeing the rat shy away from the light. After so many years of hiding, it was instinct for him to do so. I stretch my arm and felt his hand. He grasps it firmly as I began to reel him in slowly. Eventually, his brown head pops out, looking around for anything, only to see the large garbage cans collecting all of the commercia's waste and nothing else. No sign of life. No sign of predators wanting to kill him. There's only me.

He makes his first steps into the surface, looking up at the backdoors of the many shops and restaurant with no identity or name. My grip strengthened. "C'mon! I've always wanted to have someone to share this with!"

We both ran across the strip of businesses across the commercia. There were so many choices for some decent food: Ionian, Noxian, Shurimian.. There were all kinds in Zaun! I don't even eat that much food, but there was just so much to show. I know the best one! The perfect one! It was a little bit of everything! It was just right acro-

He ripped his hand away. I look back at him in shock and dismay, but he merely points a shaking finger at what seems to be two people arguing with each other in the alleyway under a bright light. One of them seem to have a butcher's knife and a bloody hand while the other seemed to have a hairnet and glasses. Scratch seems to back away at the sight of it as he stares at them for any sudden movements.

"Well.. guess you did inherit something from Twitch after all. " I mumble. "Hm.. How about we choose a restaurant from this strip then. No reason to go deeper, huh?" I look across the area to find one only to see gray-brick building after gray-brick building after gray brick building after gray brick building. It was hard to identify them without their signs and titles. Eventually as we continue walking, I come across a larger than usual diner at the very end with steam billowing out from above and every window alit with shadows of people and vibrant zaunite music with its loud percussion and strings.

As we move closer, the shadows within the windows become more clearer to show the tan skin familiar with people. At the sight of it, Scratch immediately disappeared in sight. "Calm down, pal!" I said. "They won't hurt. They don't even know you're here." I said. "Just.. give them a look." We both peered into one window. It shows a black haired man and woman listening intently to 2 young children, twins. The children had wide smiles across their faces as they tell stories as the parents feed into their creativity with curiosity. "Just like us don't you think?" I ask. He slowly de-camouflages to reveal himself to me, away from the radiance of the window. The moment he did, he looks over to see. They didn't even bat an eye.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!"

Crack! Crack! Crack! Crack! The streetlamps shatter one by one. Scratch holds his ears. The sound refuses to leave. The light inside the bar immediately goes off. I look around. I see nothing from this view. I grab Scratch and threw him across my back. I jump up on the building to look around. I watch as the cleam of Skylight commercia was eventually consumed in darkness. Everyone runs away from the bell tower at the very center as it begins to lose power. I can't let him get away. I set Scratch down. "You! Stay here! I'll be back I promise! Don't move!"

I jump from building to building, following the source of the screech. No one notices me from this view, for they are much too worried about the haunting screech than the blob that they aren't aware of. When I finally reach the bell tower, I climb up and up and up, attracted by the noise it makes. When I finally reach the top, I climb up to see the back of a black winged creature hunched over its recent glowing findings in front of him. I listen carefully, but all I could here was a muffled cackle.

"Free… Free… Free…" It repeats slowly. "Free.. Free.. Free… Free.."

I launch out my hand on its wings. "Where do you think you're going pal?" I ask. It looks back. I gasp in horror at its image. The body was scarred and lanky. It's claws, wide and sharp like a bear's and drenched in blood, held what seems to be hextech crystals. The ears long and pointy like a bat and it's face.. It's face was hidden by a mask with 5 holes, each glowing with red eyes.

I couldn't find the words. "What.. what ar-"

"AWAY!" It shouts. It tore my arm off in one slice. I recoil back, holding my arm in place as it grows back another hand. I see him fly off into the distance..

"Come back!" I shouted, but it didn't listen. It continues to fly away. "Well… guess you want to do the hard way.." I dig my hands into the roof of the tower and walk backwards, stretching my arms in the opposite direction of the creature. I lock my sights on top of it. Steady… Steady.. Steady.. and… my legs let go. I launch myself forward into the sky at top speed, hitting my target square in the back. I hear his scream as he tried to flap his wings, but it was all useless at the weight of my mass. We kept going further and further down until I see a building.. The diner…

I try to steer direction but it's too late. The concrete hit. I bounce off. Everything was dust. We destroyed one of the pillars of the building into rubble. I look forward to see the creature dazed himself. Let's see what's this guy's up to… I walk forward, only to feel dust drop on my antenna. I look up to the ceiling and see large cracks… The crumbling of stone and the creaking of metal was all that I can hear. I was finally reminded of who was up there.. Scratch..

All attention was diverted as I jump up to the ceiling. Level by level as the building begins to fall apart. Level 2. Level 3. Level 4. And finally.. I see the orange sky of the sunset and the vast ravines. I look down to see Scratch where I left him. He was bent down, cowering in fear as he holds one hand up to generate a small green bubble around him, hoping it would save him. I lunge forward at him. He clings to my body. I feel his warmth again, but also fear and worry… Feeling that I have felt in the bleak sumps and the bitter sewers. I hold him close as I grow paralyzed at his touch. As the structure collapses, we fall together into the darkness.

Through the chaos of destruction, I could hear the faint flapping of wings going further in the distance.


	2. The Lone Heroes

Bones clatter on the ground as the rat's bloody body falls apart under the weight of the acid as I threw them. The body merely rolled over to the rest of tarnished, decaying pile of what could've been. The tunnels echo the collisions, repeating the corpses lifeless "thumps" over and over and over and over again. Every time I hear it, my fur tingles and my skin shivers. This looming plague comes over as the terrifying sounds begin to invade my body. Thump. Thump. Thump. Thump. It's never-ending. Usually sounds go silent into the night but not this, NO NO NO! It goes on and on.. My subjects' cries. My subjects' shrieks. My subjects' screams. All were silent except for their lifeless bodies. Thump. Thump! Thump! Thump!

"YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE ALIVE!" I screamed, kicking the pile of bloody rats to drown in the sewage below. Some were still with on the surface, their corpses mocking him. "You're supposed to serve me! You're supposed to be more mes! I'm your ruler! And I command you TO STOP! MAKING! THAT! NOISE!" More bodies are flown through the water, their splashes manifesting into cries of the anguished as if they were still alive. At first, it was only small with repeated shrieks here and there, but then they become more and more frequent. Suddenly. a cascade of random noises turn into a crescendo of terror as all of the noises began to merge into one. "STOP IT! I..I DEMAND SILENCE!"

The noises stop suddenly. The stillness eerie. I walk up to the sewage and stare at the indiscernible green unable to see the subjects I killed. I storm to the cauldron in my lair where the green lantern above glows dimly to the bubbling liquid. I growl at its putrid stench. I grumble as it shows my twisted reflection back. "This.. THIS IS YOUR FAULT!" I shout at the deceased golem's body that act as the cauldron. I took the sides it. I barely feel my hands burn. I threw it in the ground, watching the green liquid spill. My reflection still shows. I turn my head away.

"You're supposed to work.." I reach into my pouch and took out a ripped, yellowed, crumbled sheet of paper with a list of ingredients and a drawing of a mutated rat. On the top was the name "Scratch". My fist begins to clench as I hold it, fingernails piercing into the drawing's face. "You.. were supposed to work.." My hands released the paper, letting it fall to the moist ground. I step back and sat on my trash bag, hands covering my head as I tried to find comfort in all of the chaos.

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. 4 drops of sewage. Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. 8 drops of sewage. Drip. Drip. Drip. Everything goes quiet. Everything fades away.

DING! DONG!

I jump out of my trance. My ears raised high and reach for my crossbow and pointed in its direction.

Ding. Dong. Ding. Dong. It stopped.

it was only the muffled bell from the bell tower. The Goopy One told me it was there to tell time for the surface.. I glance over at the empty trash bag on the other side of the room. I never touched it. I never touched it since he left.

I crawl over to the dropped recipe and went over to what was once ZAC's bed. I lay inside, looking at the piece of paper with the drawing of Scratch, gazing into the holes I pierced. I try to flatten them out, making them look less like holes.

I shoot a quick whistle towards the cracks, beckoning my remaining subjects to come. One roach comes over. "Hmph. Did they come back yet?" I ask in a raspy voice. "They haven't came back since this morning.. They.. they couldn't have found a new home already? Yes?"

The roach merely skitters to my hand as I raise it towards my face.

"Oh. I see.. you don't know if they did.." I growl at the roach. I always demand answers from my subjects, but all aggression suddenly dissipated when the roach claims they were marching over right now. I peered closer towards him. "WHERE!?"

* * *

I sneak through the sewers, running as fast as I can to reach them before they come to their homes to lock the sewer king himself out. I couldn't afford to let that happen. Suddenly, I hear the familiar squashing of footsteps. I look from the corner and see the same hulking figure carrying what seems to be Scratch, a rat slumped on his back.

However, it isn't like the last times I saw them. They walk slowly with their arms limping around uselessly in the air. Their faces look down into the ground in shame. The only arm that's active was ZAC's left arm which seems to be holding a lone feather.

I walk in front of him. "SURPRISE!" I shout, cackling. "Did you miss me!?" Closer up, it was even more peculiar. The blob seemed to be covered in concrete and Scratch is holding on to his neck for dear life. "Wha.. what happened?"

ZAC merely walks around me.

I run back to him. "Hey! Hey! Hey! You're in MY kingdom! And you follow My orders! I command you to answer my question! What happened!?"

He glares down at me. "Listen, pal. Now's not the time for this stuff. Today's been a rough day and Scratch here is exhausted and I don't want to talk about it nor do I want to hear your 'music' in front of the place."

"Hmph. Not my fault you wouldn't let the sewer king in. And it's great music!" Twitch grumbles. That was odd.. He read from human literature that you can get people out by music, and pots and pans provided the best sewer music! "Ugh.. I was just wondering what happened up there. Was it some stupid human overreacting to a building being destroyed? Hehe.. Not your fault they're too dumb to think about what you wanted. Hmph! All humans are dumb. Bleagh!"

"TWITCH!"

I grew silent.

"Listen closely cause I'm not a fan of repeating myself. Today's a rough day, and if you don't want me to punch you, then I suggest giving us a bit of space. I need to think of some things," ZAC sighs, glancing at the rustled black feather.

"But.. I just wanted to know what happened to my subjects? A king needs to-"

"Twitch. We're not your subjects. We're not your weapons. This is just a temporary home." ZAC turned away and kept moving, never stopping. "Good night, Twitchy."

"Good... Night. Goopy One.." I mumble. I sit down in the sewers, looking down at the sewage. I kick about the water, just thinking what to do before they leave forever...

Drip. Drip. Drip. Drip. 4 drops of sewage. I could've sworn I saw one glow...

* * *

It was a rough night. The world around me is dark with no light or hope in sight. Everywhere I turn, I see _him_.

I stand abrupt, awake at the thick of the night. My breathing quickens as I stand up. I look behind me, expecting to feel those 5 scarlet eyes staring down next to me.. to him. I stretch my arm for the lantern and lit it with a wooden match. I see Scratch sleeping soundly on his trash bag, unharmed or untouched, yet he's still affected. I could see the shivering skin and the skittering teeth and reactive kicks here and there. I look down at the feather again. This wasn't the first zaunite science abomination I've fought up there; there were plenty, but I've never felt so scared. This was the third time I woke up tonight.

I bring the lantern over to Scratch and tapped him on the shoulder. The moment he feels my touch, he jumps up and shields himself to me.

"Heh.. Guess you dream about him too, don't'cha?"

He just walks up to slump on my body, exhausted from the panic. Exhausted from the stress. Exhausted from the fear. I feel a pang of guilt. I brought him to this..

"Hey. Hang in there. He won't get you here. Not in the sewers, and definitely not with me around. I promise I'll take him down!"

I sit him up, and made sure his eyes meet mine. "You can't be my sidekick anymore," Scratch just look at him with scared eyes before going back to his trash bag to look for a particular gauntlet. I come up to him and he brings it out immediately, showing the venomous green ball in his hand. Showing the various ways to manipulate it to impress me, but all failed.

I grab him by the wrist and moved his arm down, dissipating the green orb to nothing but smoke. "No buts pal," I said sternly. "You almost died today, and I'm not going through that again. I'm sorry. You're staying here. Can't let some vulture thing get your head, right?" I give him a soft smile before letting go of his wrist.

He raises his hand to show a twisted picture of Twitch holding a bunch of rats over a cauldron through his gauntlet. I swipe it away with my hand. The image turns to smoke. "He won't touch you here.." I glance at the heavy furniture blocking the doorway. "That thing weighs a couple hundred pounds, pal. Twitch won't be able to get you.."

Scratch comes over to hold my big green hand, his grip hard. He looks up to me, defenseless and scared. "I'm not leaving you," I said, petting him a bit. "Gonna take more than a crazy 'sewer king' and some monster to get me away right? It's just Zaun needs me. A superhero can't abandon the people he protects right?"

Scratch nods silently, his eyes drifting on the ground, still reluctant on this decision.

"Tell you what," I said. "How about we get through this night together? Before I leave." I ask. "With the both of us, that monster in our dreams won't stand a chance."

The two of us lay on my bed. I hold on to Scratch with my big arms as he digs into my chest. He sleeps soundly in the comfort of my warmth as I spend the long hours staring at the black feather.


	3. Home Alone: Day 1

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH"

He's coming for me. As I run on the surface pavement, I look above to see fast shadows, dark feathers, red eyes, large talons, but all I see is 'Piltover'. Piltover, the gilded city above us whose lights still glimmered when everything turns dark in Zaun. There was nothing in sight outside of what seems to be sweet refuge. Could it be that it had the same camouflage powers like me? Or was he made of goop like ZAC? ZAC can go through cracks, pipes, walls, concre-

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH"

I look down. There was no time. I need to find a manhole. I need to live. I scamper around, seeing nothing but glass and loose iron from buildings destroyed by the beast. They all left cracks in the pavement, torturing me with the safety that the sewers provide. I look through the cracks in the hopes that it could provide me clues to the nearest route for escape, but all I saw was darkness with no ground to stand on. I held out my gauntlet and look into the cracks. I allowed the green orb to go inside, focusing my right hand at the direction of the cracks, and grow, grow, grow! Widen the cracks. Open the path. Widen the cracks. Open the path.

I hiss as I watch them grow bigger at the pace of a snail. I begin to bang on the pavement, begging it to obey my demands. Begging it to break.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH!"

I feel wind above me. Air rushing for my head. I look up and see the 5 red eyes towering over me, focusing in on its prey. It dived. The eyes become bigger and bigger. I couldn't see their full size anymore. I look away and jumped, closing my eyes as I land, feeling the road shake and crumble beneath my feet. The infrastructure was too frail. It gave in. The gaping hole formed, dragging buildings, food-places, warden stations, the creature and me in like gravity pulling me down to what once was the only refuge I had against it.

I hit the humid floor face first. I cough out dust. I cough out blood. My mouth begins to burn just like it used to with _him_. I reach for it, but I never felt the comfort of my green scarf. The one that covered the scars of the past experiments. The one ZAC gave to me to cover my superhero weakness. At my touch, it begins to burn. It grows sensitive. I feel liquid.

I glance in front of me, watching the beast try to go up. I blend in with the darkness through my fur. It looks around, looking for prey with those red glowing eyes. They shine like flashlights as I tip-toe down. All was silent as it looks. I keep my ears peeled at even more destruction.

"SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH! SCREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEECH! SCREEEEEEEEEEEEECH!" It grows frustrated.

I flinch at the dreadful noise. My concentration weakened as I desperately try to keep the illusion up. I close my eyes and turn my back towards it and look away. Just look away. Look away, and he'll leave..

"Splash!"

My eyes widened. I see the red light in front of me that came from behind. I see the shadow created from the light. My shadow. I look further down and see my feet in the puddle. I'm dead.

The screeching turns to footsteps. The earth shakes as I lay frozen and exposed. I embrace for the claws at my throat. It reaches for my shoulder…

* * *

"Hey. Wake up," I hear someone say.

I jolt up, hitting ZAC's head in the process. He barely flinched; he dealt with much worse. I breath heavily, reaching for my shoulder only to feel his hand. The light that created my shadow was no longer the insidious red eyes, but the familiar, faint glow of a lantern. The crumbling ground I was once on transformed into a mere trash bag.

"It's just a dream, pal. You're ok," ZAC says, his arm stretching around my back for comfort. "I'm here buddy. No one's gonna hurt you with me around."

I sniff around, smelling the faint scent of food. Something with eggs and potatoes. His noses pointed into his body. He tried to dig himself in, but ZAC quickly got him out.

"Heh. We can hug later pal. Sorry for a pretty bad dinner, so I got you something." ZAC reach into his body to reveal 2 bags that was labeled with the name "Joe's Diner". "Best breakfast I've ever had as a kid!" ZAC says as he picks up a biscuit filled with eggs and potatoes.

I lunge at the bag, feeling my stomach urge for the food. I clawed at the opening of the bag, searching for food. I took the muffin and begin gulping it down. Crumbs begin to spill out, landing on his fur.

"Hey!" ZAC scolds. "Don't eat like that pal. We're not animals right?" ZAC takes a napkin out from his bag and wipes away the mess created on his fur. "Don't wanna be like old crazy Twitch?"

We eat our breakfast quickly, cleaning up our messes without no fail. "Well.. I'm gonna throw these away on my way to work! I'm gonna be leaving you alone for a while. I'll be back for lunch. Think you can handle being alone in here?"

I held his hand in a tight grip in response. I tugged it back. I can't be alone. Not with Twitch. Not without ZAC..

"Oh.. Don't make this hard. I wanna bring ya! I really do! You'd make a great sidekick! But I don't want ya getting hurt either," ZAC said, trying his best to give the warmest, bittersweet smile he could. "The people of Zaun needs a superhero. I need to protect them from whatever's going on up there, and I hope that you'll be there to protect me some day! But.. now's not that day. Not yet." ZAC reached over to my bed to grab my gauntlet. He presents it to me. "If a hero wants to protect others, he has to be able protect himself first." He stands up, my grip slipping on his arm. He towers before me, blocking the door of our home. "I gotta go. I'll be back soon; I promise." He walks out and drags the cracked furniture back in its place. There was nothing but me and the lantern.

"…ZAC..?" I cry out.

* * *

Time seemed to move slowly in these dark caverns. I always stood in the center of the room, comforted by the lantern's warm glow amidst a place full of monsters and sociopaths ready to murder him. The darkness around him was perfect for predators to key in on the prey. I kept my ears peeled, but everything seems to go against him. He could hear the footsteps around him. Creatures skittering and clawing at the walls to tear it all down. They may even be in here. One crack, I turn around with my lantern, and all I see are walls. One drop, the lantern swings again to reveal simply his own drawings. A roach skittering in the crack, another swing, and the gauntlet was about to fire.

The 8th bell never came yet. ZAC said he would be back at lunch. Lunch means 11 bells. It hasn't been one bell yet. Or did they not work? How could I get through this? I tried desperately to distract myself. Green crayon. The gauntlet. I tried to imagine worlds and stories. I tried to imagine the superhero tales ZAC told me every night. I tried to imagine his real-world tales of the good guys beating up the bad guys. The bad guys never win, but imagined stories of the past were nothing compared to the looming cloak of dread that surround him in the present. The monsters that came out in the night.

"HELP!" I hear someone cry out through the walls. I turn around to the direction, gauntlet ready to fire, but I only saw the drawer. "HELP!" It cries again in a shrill terrified voice. I falter. I hear this voice all the time. It was always present when I was with ZAC in his missions. It was always present when something went wrong.

It begins to cry out repeatedly, banging on the drawer. It hurts my ears. ZAC always told me to help others in need. To help other people, yet he needed to protect himself… What.. what would ZAC do? The cries begin to grow louder on my ears with every second, muting out all the other noises that lurk around me. I look around at the numerous stories drawn around me. All of the heroes with capes, fantastical weapons and masks. They all did their job to protect. They all used their powers willingly to help save a life. ZAC wouldn't let this happen. Any superhero would never let this happen.

I fire the green ball into the cracks of the furniture and let it widen. The drawer blew up, opening my home to even more monsters.

* * *

The whole streets was in ruins when I came. The shards of glass lay on the floor from the broken lamppost. The cold mass feeling of distress and fear attracted me to this place, yet it seemed like I missed the crime. This feeling was similar to when I destroyed those chem-thugs in a rage at my old neighborhood. Sometimes the aftermath is when all the worst feelings come out. Everyone seems to be packing their bags and leaving, but one building stands above the rest. One apartment building in Zaun had a gaping hole on what seems to be the third floor with its cracks spreading wildly like a spider's web, but where's the spider?

I approach the building more closely and saw the warden vehicles parked out back. I go into the cracks of the room and went around. I didn't feel anything in this building. It was all empty, despite the presence of light saying otherwise. All I could hear was the hum of electricity, no one else was here. I hop out of my cracks and saw a long winding tunnel filled with doors, some properly closed and some left open as if the owners were in a rush. I walk slowly. As I come closer and closer to the hole, bright, working lights turn to flickering dim lights and flickering dim lights turned cracked and utterly destroyed.

Finally, I reached the end of the corridor. The location of the hole. There was no door. Its wooden fragments were shattered to pieces. I refuse to retch at the feeling of splattered blood as it begins to stick onto my green legs. I then begin to feel solid bodies. I look down. A few of them were workers, but many of them were wardens. I think I've spotted 3 wardens in the hallway.

When I went into the room, I saw 3 more wardens laying on the ground or sticking to the walls. Black feathers were scattered around the bloodbath. I pick one up. It had the same black color as the one from last night. The same coarse texture. Where were the others? Isn't there supposed to be an investigation? Then again.. usually wardens in Zaun were stretched out too thin.. I look back at the doorway to the silent apartments, heightening my senses for anything fishy.

Across the room was a large open pipe and a large shattered mirror. Water leaked out of the pipe, spreading the blood outwards. This used to be a sink. As I go closer, I felt something leathery below my feet. I reached down and grabbed it. It was a wallet. I opened it and saw an I.D.

 _"Mont Grimes. Student of the Zaunite Academy of Techmaturgy"_

I look around to search up the corpses. None of the faces matched the I.D.


	4. The Mysterious Human

The eleventh bell rings as I head down to the sewers. The wallet juggles inside my green substance as I held the sole ID in my hand. "Mont Grimes, huh?" I ask myself. "The wardens nearby didn't have anyone named that last I checked.. Maybe after lunch I'll bring it up there at the school. Could be a lead.. if that thing is still out there."

I head down deeper and deeper. The lights from above grow dim until they're nearly nonexistent. It didn't matter in the first place anyways. I've been down here for so long that I memorized the entire sector of the sewers. When I was with Twitch, he would've always drilled me about "his turf" to help keep surface dwellers off and snatch any "tribute" that they may or may not have. Ugh.. I glance over to the direction of his lair, deeper down in the depths. Wonder where the little fellas is. Hopefully he's not doing anything dumb or destructive.

"Hey! Check this out!" I hear someone shout in the distance. "I told you being down here isn't that bad! Those other punks are just cowardly rats! Wonder who made all the funny warnings though."

I look over at the corner and saw some the shadows of punks with mohawks and bats. Their arms and legs seem to be augmented and their mouths covered with breathers to avoid breathing the noxious disease ridden air. All I could hear is their chuckling and laughter as they ignore all of Twitch's signs and enter dangerous territory without parent permission. I think if I looked closely, I could see someone holding one of Twitch's posters to his head as if it was a funny mask of a stick figure rat.

"Alright! I did the dare! So.. where are my 20 cogs? you owe me 20 cogs! Hehe.."

I grumble. Why are punks always idiots? Their parents are always out doing grueling factory work and all these punks do is somehow get themselves killed in every single way. I stretched my arms on the ground and concentrated my chest to make it stand out, to make myself look bigger. I step back further and further, locking my eyes on the opposite end of the sewers. I stretched and stretched and stretched and then my legs let go. I slingshot myself to the other side. My body hits the floor with a loud "SPLASH!" The punks stepped back, pointing their bats and guns at the green mess of limbs in front of them. When I finally found my footing, I stand up, growing in height as I begin to tower over them, glaring at them in angry yellow eyes. I see them shake. I see them step back. I could imagine seeing their eyes, looking up at me wide and fearful. Their mouths wide, struggling to form the word "monster".

It only made me angrier. Good.

"LEAVE!" I shout as loud as I can, echoing across the many tunnels in this cursed labyrinth. Before I could even stretch an arm to disarm one of them, they run like chickens. Their rapid footsteps spreading echoes in the darkness that grow fainter and fainter every minute. Twitch's official warning posters that were used as a mask now fell to the humid floor, crumbled and tampered.

I pick it up, glancing at it. It was a simple green crayon drawing of a simple stick-figured angry rat holding 2 flasks. It said the following: _"Don't enter Twitch's turf! OR ELSE!"_

I could still hear their faint footsteps a mile away. As much as I hate to say this, they should be dead by now.. Twitch rarely leaves his sewers. His ingredients are always down here. He wouldn't go that far. I put the poster back in its place, hoping that it would actually do its job in steering people away here. "Where are ya pal?" I ask, glancing at it again.

Then I suddenly realize.. If _they_ can get in here, what does that mean for…

I jerk my head in the direction of my home. I run as quickly as possible towards it. "He's safe. He's safe. He's safe. He's safe." I said to myself repeatedly, yet the creeping feeling lingers over me. I knew leaving him there would be a bad idea. I knew something awful would've happened. What could it be? Dumb punks? Chemists? Chem-baron thugs? Takeda's thugs?

I run and run and run and gasped at the sight of the furniture that was meant to block the pipe opening to the house suddenly replaced with a single tarp. The yellow lantern light that used to be there was no more. Scattered pieces of wood littered the floor as I walk towards it.

"Scratch?" I ask loudly, resisting the urge to cry. I slam the tarp down. The room was all black. "SCRATCH!?"

Suddenly, the lantern light was back. Its dim glowed revealed a tiny green scarfed, brown bipedal rat with an unconscious person below him with rustled gray hair, cracked goggles, yellow teeth and multiple scars across his face. He looked at me with worried eyes while I looked at _it_ with hostility.

"Stay away!" I shout, moving Scratch away from the unconscious body. I looked at him, feeling his body. "Did he do anything to you?"

He nods no, but that didn't stop me from checking. I step back at the body in fear. "How.. how did he get in here?"

Scratch points to one of the drawings that lined the walls. One with a stick figure crying "help" as a young green blob jumps in to rescue the day. "Help".

I groan at the realization. "Scratch! You can let people in like this! You just can't!" I look at Scratch's eyes of confusion and fear at this act of heroism. "People can do pretty nasty things. And I don't want those nasty things to happen to you. Got it?"

He slowly nods, his hands clasped together, shivering.

"No more destroying the furniture. Just stay in here, and I'll come for you. We can do this saving heroism stuff later, but now, you should learn to protect yourself!" ZAC bends over to the body, mending the scars left in this fiasco. "Guess I'm taking this big fella to the homeless shelter," I look over to Scratch. I feel his fear emanating from his antenna. "And after lunch.. we'll find a new door. Maybe check up on our neighbor later. Guess you're spending an entire day with me, pal. Heh. So much for being alone."

His fear was still present. I sigh.

"Well.. let's go. Can't leave this fella for long.."

* * *

I wake up, groggy from the nap. I sit up, rubbing my pink eyes and feeling the tingling feeling on my skin missing. Their legs weren't present. My hand reaches up to the fur on my head and back, probing for the loyal roachmen that serve to sooth my needs after an awful nightmare. At first in the dream, everything was itchy. My body was itchy. I had to take off my coat. My weapons. My journals. My lets kept scratching and scratching but it wouldn't stop! It wouldn't stop and then I notice-

But they weren't there. They weren'tdoing their job. Were they sleeping? I growl at the lack of sensation. "Ugh.. Roachmen!" I shout, opening my eyes. "Why have you abandon- Aah!" I shout, squinting my eyes at the horrifying flickering green light. It's radiance rays stabs through my sensitive retinas as I struggle to get up. I stumble across the room, looking back.

The room was mainly empty with just a small human bed and a sink with a mirror. Why was I here? Why am I not in the sewers? Did they get me? Did they find me? Is this the extermination room!? Guess the bright light is their form of torture! Yes.. yes.. It had to be! So is the clean look.. The metals don't even have rust! Where's my crossbow.. my casks! I look down and all I see was this white gown.

"Did you hear about the new guest?" I hear some dumb human say with my large, all-knowing ears. "I hear his immune system is strong. Must be an interesting subject in the future.."

I can't stand being here. Not around these surface dwellers.. They'll kill me.. They'll destroy me! THEY'LL EXTERMINATE!

I blend in with my surroundings and opened the door slowly.

"Creeeeeak"

All conversation stopped.

"He's awake," I hear them begin to repeat. They know. Suddenly I hear footsteps. I slam the door open, and run as fast as I can while maintain my brilliant disguise.

"Gotta find a toilet! Gotta find a toilet! Gotta find a toilet!" I whisper to myself as I ran. I found the door to the restrooms. Yes.. I was home free! I opened the door and I hit something hard. I crumbled down on the floor.

"It's you.." I hear someone mumbled fearfully in front of me. I opened my eyes and saw what seemed to be a rugged man with large, rustled gray facial hair. "The plague rat! THE PLAGUE RAT!" He begins shouting and screaming hysterically.

"OUT OF THE WAY!" I shout, pushing him. He was easy to move in his stupid dazed state. The footsteps begin marching. I storm into a stall and slam the doors behind me. I open the lid and put my legs in the warm, slimy, mushy water. I feel brown mush and tissues around my feet. I begin to push the handle. Nothing happened. I push it again. The water rushes, but it didn't let me in. It was clogged!

The people now enter the room. They begin opening stalls one by one to find out what's actually happening. I blend in with my fur and got off the toilet. I crawled out from under the stall and watch as the humans look inside the stall next to me. I step back and back, seeing the door crowded with people and comforting the old man as he rocked back and forth in a fetal position. Stupid humans.. They're making things hard.. They're all here to exterminate me..

Suddenly, I feel the hardness of a wall behind me. The metal framing of a vent pressing behind my back. I turn around in my camofladged state and saw it, my escape.

I used my nails to slowly open the vents. One by one the nails pinning the vent down fell, but they didn't notice. Those humans are too busy and dumb to notice anything. Just a few more…

CLANK!

The vent falls to the ground. Everyone was silent as they watched me unscrew the vent. I froze, seeing their eyes peer into mine in fear and apprehension. The moment I hear the first footsteps, I ran inside. I crawled faster and faster and faster. Upwards. Up. Up. Up. I could hear the people taking their steps inside. I could see the rays of awful flashlights peering in. They were coming for me. They always came for me. Faster I climb. Faster I move. Faster I escape.

If there's a vent in front, unscrew it. If anything's in front, get it out of the way.

I see light.. I SEE FREEDOM!

I unscrew the last vent and I pop out, feeling the outside zaunite air hitting my fur comfortably. I stumble outside at what seems to be the back of the prison I escaped. There was a sign..

 _"Foundation for the Homeless Center"_


	5. Transformation

"ZAC!?" I shout as I run and run and run and run.

I run through the sewers for my life, sweat on my brow and eyes wide in fear. I merely escaped with my life! They wanted to experiment on me.. Open me up.. The roaches tell me of horrid stories of what they did to their own kind. Do I hear the footsteps from behind? Are they after me?

"ZAC!"

If they got to me, what does that mean of my kingdom, my turf, my journals, my recipes, my books, my.. my.. MINE! Lowly surface dwellers can't take what's mine! What did they pilfer, rob, steal. They always steal from the sewer king! ALWAYS!

"ZAC!?"

I was getting close. Closer. Closer. Closer to the Goopy One's home. What is it of them? Did they take my subjects as well? I race past the river, turn the corners, race past the halls of my domain until suddenly.. I see cracks of light. Cracks of dim light from the lantern they covet. For once in my life, I felt relief at the safety of the lantern as I could hear the slight whispers of their endeavors, but the moment of relief was brief when I was reminded by a shard of wood scaring my feet. I look down to see that was only one of many scattered across the floor like the glass of a cask slammed on the floor as the light illuminated them all. I walk up to the door. One fact remains certain: the humans came..

I went up to the new shelf that now acts as the barrier between me and my subjects. "ZAC! OPEN UP!" I shout, slamming my fist into the wood. All of the whispers grew silent at my decree. "This is important! The humans… they invaded my lair and took me to this horrible horrible containment facility! Humans were everywhere.. Ugh.. Twitch was sure that they were going to try to exterminate him.. Maybe they're after you too! You have to help me! My kingdom can't be invaded!"

"Twitch.. It's a bit late for your games and paranoia. We're about to sleep soon," ZAC says through the door. "I checked your place for ya. Out of kindness. Nothing's been moved. No one was there."

"But this is an emergency! They're invading the sewers! I need help! Twitch may be the best sewer king, but he needs help against the dreaded humans.. This Takeda may be back!"

At the mention of that name, ZAC slides the shelf over just slightly. I squint at the glare shown behind as I can only make out the shadow partially covering it.

"Whoa… what happened to you?" The weapon says as he gazes upon my tattered white robes. "Don't look at me! I'm hideous! They stole my robes and my crossbows an-"

"Stole? They're.. they're still in your lair, pal.. Didn't you uh.. take the off for a sludge bath or something? You do those sometime.."I just look up in confusion in silence as I look up at the faceless shadow that looms over me. "Uh… Let me just.. walk you down there. Ok?" ZAC sighs. "I'm not carrying you." He walks out from behind the opening and moves the shelf back. The lantern goes out. We made our first steps.

"So… what's with the new look?" ZAC asked. "I've put bloblets around here. Just in case someone steals from us. No one suspicious came by. I don't think a kidnapping happened pal."

"Hey! Do I lo- Wait.. So.. you've been watching for me! Your sewer king!" The weapon said nothing of the matter, but the rat still cackled. "Hehe! So you're still my subject! My friend! What's mine is always mine!"

"I think a simple 'Thank You' would suffice, pal," he muttered.

"Thank… you?" I ask, tilting my head in confusion. I've never heard of those 2 words before.. Was it a human word like "sharing"? The Goopy One likes those words for some reason…

"Uh.. I mean! Yes! Yes! Thank you! Heh.. Heh…" ZAC didn't even look in his direction. My hands fiddled around nervously in his presence. What do I do? What do I say? "So.. you're sure, that no one went into my lair? Then.. how did I get in the human's grasp!"

"I dunno pal. Did you get kidnapped somewhere else or something?"

"No! I stayed in the lair! They could have weird technology that evades your senses! Some… emotion cloak or.. maybe they used machines! Yes.. yes.. That's right. Robotic machines invaded my turf! Invisible robots that tricked that sights of my loyal roachmen!"

"I don't think those exist."

"Well.. LOOK AT ME!" I shout, gesturing at the tattered white clothes and looking at the Goopy One in his eyes. "HOW ELSE COULD THIS HAPPEN! I know.. the surface dwellers are on to something. Something I tell you! The human plague will invade soon.. Twitch needs help… They'll strike again!"

"STOP!" ZAC shouts, stretching his body to increase his height. It almost seemed like a large shadow about to consume him. I fell down, my poor tail hitting the wet concrete as I yelp with pain. "No one's down here to invade you! I checked everything! Just.. stop with all of this paranoia!" I step back, wondering if my once friend would pummel me right then and there, but he couldn't. I could imagine it on his distraught face when he begins to slump as the very idea. His arms begin to grow limp. "Well.. I should tell ya.. Guess your roach friends didn't tell you.." ZAC mumbles. "Me and Scratch found a potential home while you were gone. Pretty messy and may not be suitable for a kid like Scratch, but just a cleanup and he'll be safe."

"W-what.. but where?"

"Why should I tell you? Sorry buddy."

"You you can't leave me! What subjects leave their ruler!?" I crawled down and grab the weapon's leg. I look up, bags growing under my eyes and limbs growing weak from the pain. Pain from my tail. Pain from the stress my limbs have burdened from the escape. Pain from the blaring heat inside my head. I want it to stop. I command it to stop! I command everything to stop! But nothing happened..

"Please.. You're the Goopy One I have. You're the only 'friend' I have.. Scratch.. he's the first Plague rat I've ever made. You can't leave me.. Not when _they_ will invade.. I know it! Just stay.. I'm sorry! That's what surface dwellers say right.. Sorry? Please.."

ZAC stands frozen, unsure what to do with my plea. I just them back.

He bends down to my level and puts out an open hand. "Look.. we'll stay in your sewers for a bit. I have to clean up that place, and I'll help get to the bottom of your kidnappers ok.. I'll keep the bloblets around for a bit."

"O..okay.." I take his hand. We both stand up, and his size looms over me once more.

"But after that… We're done pal. Sorry."

I stood staring at him in silence and disbelief. Before I could even mutter anything, he turns around, limbs still held aimlessly and head down. He didn't want to be here anymore. It just makes it more painful. He walks down the vast tunnels and utters one last "sorry" before leaving me alone to crawl back to the lair.

The tarp that covered the lair's entrance was still the same. It isn't tattered, destroyed, or even thrown to the side as I expected. I aimlessly push it aside and stumble my way towards my bed. I collapse in it, not even paying attention to my original cloak and casks laying next to it. I notice them being in the same place as I shed them in the terrible dream. I didn't have the energy to even lift my head.

The bells toil as I stared at the back bags right in front of me. My ears kept watch for the creatures that come to invade, but no one came. It was only me. I look around after a while, and everything was there. The cauldron, the books, the recipes, and my glorious collection. Everything. If intruders did come, then why leave everything of value behind, but what does that matter.

For the first time in many hours, I got up and changed my clothes with only the dripping of water accompanying me. I hold crossbow close and told my roaches to keep watch of everything in sight, including the Goopy One and Scratch. I needed to make sure they'll fulfill their promise. I lost count of the bells that past, what time it was…

Suddenly, I feel the familiar feeling of a roach's leg on my skin and laid a finger for him, holding him to face level.

"Yes? Did you find anyone? ….No… He.. he left for the surface already! Oh.. But Scratch still stays here…" My hands furled into fist. "Hmph.. That doesn't change his lies.. He said he'll help me with this.. His king gets kidnapped and he doesn't bat an eye….Doesn't… doesn't… AAAAGH!"

I feel sharp pain towards my back. It starts to spread like a wildfire across my body. I feel it in my head and legs and arms and heart. Oh. My beating heart. Make it stop! Make it stop! The fur begins to shed as I crawl. My face feels like it's slowly being smashed together. I writhed and screamed in place as I crawled. I raise my hand to not see my own. The legs and feet that were once protected by fur now feel pain from the shards of glass below me. I can't hear anything anymore. The heart beats and beats and beats. Did they come!? DID THEY COME! I shoot! I shoot! I shoot! Nothing hits. Where did they go! What have they done!

I scrambled to the cauldron to stand up for support, squinting to find the accursed surface dweller who made me go through this sensation. This agony. This torture. The sewer king doesn't fight crawling like a coward! "WHO'S THERE!? UGH! Ugh.. No one.. NO ONE CURSES THE SEWER KI-" I look around. The lantern above shows nobody. I breath, keeping my ears high, but no sound came.

I turn around to the cauldron, and I didn't see my face. I saw a human's..

The nightmare was true, but this.. could be a blessing.

The tunnels carry my cackles. My loud and wicked cackles as tears begin to form. Were they tears of horror at the extent of this new plan or tears of joy at an actual chance. The voice was distinct from mine. Less raspy. Less superior. Less… _Twitch_.

"If.. If they won't answer to a grand ruler, then they'll answer to _a lowly whelp_ …"


	6. Latching and Leeching

3 days. It would take 3 days to get it ready.

It's nothing more than a cave on the side of the shore, but it's far away from here and it's particularly hard to get in without my stretchy arms and legs. Those two alone made it perfect. I just need to fix anything that can go wrong, but it shouldn't be hard. That's always my job up there in Zaun. Fixing anything that could go wrong, vents, crimes, and all. Not really good at it myself, but I at least have experience.

However, as I look around the vacant sewer room one last time with only a bag of me and Scratch's stuff, trashbag beds and one sole lantern, I feel the dreading sense of sadness looming over my shoulder, like being in the dark and cold shade of a shadow. The empty room only echoed the creaking and dripping of pipes and nothing else. I hear the echoes in my dreams and I hear it when I'm awake. What would it be like? This place being so eerily silent as it is right now for days, months, years. Even Twitch stopped banging the door for insistence of being let in. I can barely hear him scream at intruders or cry at failures. This sewers has been my home ever since they died, yet even days before we would leave forever, I can't even recognize it. I somewhat missed it.

And yet look what happened. I've supported a psychopathic rat. I've went with his delusions of superiority. I've told myself a lie that he would ever get better. My parents have always told me there were good and bad people in the world. Right and wrong. Hero and villain. I've seen it myself. The chem baron that murdered my parents and now the rat that sees people as nothing more than tools. I used to be his friend. I used to call him a friend. He even plans to take over the world for crying out lo-

I suddenly feel a slight tug at my leg. I look down to find the brown rat looking up to me with a stained napkin. I smile as I hold Scratch up. "Aw.. Look at you! You finished breakfast and actually used your napkin this time," I shout happily. "Guess you're not just a typical dirty rat anymore, huh? You're a civilized rat!" I scratch behind ears. He giggles happily in comfort, dropping the napkin on the floor. It used to be Twitch's favorite scratching spot.

Once the scratching stopped, I place him down. I grab the napkin and throw in a separate garbage bag. "There. Just remember to put the dirty stuff in the bag, ok pal? Maybe if you keep this up, I'll buy you a bowtie. I bet you look cute in a bowtie!" Scratch just tilts his head, staring into me trying to translate what I said in understandable terms. I forgot he didn't know much about the surface. Not yet. Maybe in a safer note, he will learn more about it. He would learn how great people can actually be!

I grab a stick of green chalk and moved over to a wall with the lantern. I proceeded to draw a small, skinny, smiling rat on the boards with a scarf, some scars, and a chipped ear. I give him a small bowtie and a cute little top hat, and, for the finishing touch, I add a small monocle. "..And there!" I said in satisfaction. "See. That's you! There's the bowtie and the hat and the little fancy eye-thing. I think you would look like a refined gentle-rat if I do say so myself. Heh. Y'know… I have a large tie in the bag. I could show it to you if you want!"

"….Uh. Scratch?" I look towards him and he sits there silent, not looking at the picture, but the many others on this wall. I even forgot the many stories told here. The many drawings we made together. The heroic tales of Blitzcrank and ZAC. The heroes up against villains from evil witches to robotic dragons. There was even the drawing of the two of us, looking to the sun, to the future, in our capes and super-suits, ready for anything that the world can dish out.

Scratch looks at me as we shared the wistful thought.

"Heh… We'll be leaving… but that doesn't we'll forget these now, don't we?"

The answer didn't comfort him. He looks down, forlorn.

Suddenly, I have an idea. I go to the bag that holds all of my stuff and take out an old camera. I used to hide this camera far away from Twitch as possible in the fear that he would break it. It was my dad's old camera, and he would take pictures of him and Mom all the time to show off in the house, but in secret, he would take pictures of me growing up.

"Hey," I call out to him. "Look at this." I showed him the pictures. "During my entire life growing up, my parents would take these pictures. They're me when I was just a child. There's me as a little cute bloblet in a petri dish with my parents caressing me and there's me sitting on my parents lap for a picture playing with some metal toy, I think I was trying to make it form Atomic man, heh, and there's me growing to the lengths of my dad! There's the wall where I would measure my heights for all the 10 years I've been with them. I never grew ever since that day.."

Scratch looks at the picture with wide eyes at the clearness of the detail and how real it looks. To think that ZAC was once that size.

"And.. maybe I should do the same with you. With these pictures. So we'll remember our first times together forever." I look over to the wall. "How about we start?" I grab the camera from him and posed for a picture. I aimed for the little drawing of us two in the sunset with our superhero capes. We worked on that together. "All you gotta do is line up the shot you see in this camera and press this button.."

Click!

"Lookie here Scratch. Our first photo," I whispered happily as I showed the phto to him. Pretty dim, but still works. "Now we can just put in on the wall with our new home."

Suddenly, I hear the faint ringing of the bells of Zaun. One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Six. Seven. Eight. Eight AM.

"Oh no. Guess I'm running out of time," I said as I got up. "Don't wanna leave, but.. I can't let Zaun get any worse! Heh. Besides, I need to deal with something.." I take out the ID of Mont Grimes, plagued by multiple dried bloodstains from the incident. Even the IDs presence haunts me and Scratch. I see him shivering and backing off as I revealed it from my substance. "Hey. I'm ZAC. I've dealt with monsters before. That's what heroes do, ok?"

I give the camera back to him. "Now. Remember the rules. No opening that door in any circumstance, y'hear? No letting anyone in. Just like those people are counting on me, I'm gonna count on you for one important task. I trust you to take pics of the best stories."

Scratch looks up in response.

"I'm trust your fine taste, gentle-rat! And I trust you to be my hero today! I can't wait to see what photos you take when I come back for lunch."

Scratch nods, smiling and holding his camera up firmly and proudly. I smiled.

"Good. Anyways. Gotta go, can't keep Zaun waiting! See you at lunch."

I leave the room before hearing the first clicks being made. I walk to the surface, lost in thought.

I stopped at the intersection between me and the path to Twitch's lair. I look the direction of his lair, still puzzled at the silence both in sound and emotion. I feel my first steps going in that direction, but I stopped. I was growing attached again, and I can't get attached to a delusional psychopath.

I walk to the surface and enjoyed the soothing sewer's silence.

The chaos would come back eventually, and I don't think I'd want to be here when it does.

* * *

I look at the ID carefully, eyeing the tan, brown haired man carefully through the dried bloodstains.

I didn't hear much about the metallic, crow creature in quite some time. I never heard any attacks happening in the surface. Maybe he's gone forever?

A chill reach my spine as I said that. I remember it quite clearly. The shattering of lights and the crumbling of buildings surround me.. It could attack again. Everyone felt it. The commercia wasn't the happy place it was before. Rarely anyone goes outside, and people often stray away from the darker alleys of Zaun. Rumors spread daily of the whereabouts of this crow-man and they begins to nest and fester in my mind like the plague they are. Rumor aren't exterminated until certainty is there. Until they see this creature's corpse.

This was my only lead, and possibly my only suspect; it would explain how someone could invade the high class commercias, and even if he was wrong, someone gets their ID back.

From the top of a building, I gaze up at the towers of the college of techmarturgy. Many people were eager to go in and learn from the many prestigious professors. I've never really been to school myself, but I had enough science in my life honestly.

As I move from crack to crack and through the pipes, I sense many unique emotions to the college. Some new coming freshmen were eager to start learning. Some were excited to do a project that they would claim would be their magnum opus.

I felt hope. Hope for a new and bright future. Hope for a nice life in the promenede or even Piltover. Hope to get their family out of the sumps. And hope that I would solve the mystery once and for all. I feel my pace going quicker and quicker as I go to the main office for their records.

As I begin to move further away from the students, the emotions become faded. They're now just echoes fading in the wind. I only hear the faint scratching of the pen and typing of the typewriter. I move deeper and deeper until I hear nothing.

I seep through the small cracks of the pipes and find myself hanging on the ceiling with shelves upon shelves of records below me. The only thing illuminating it all was dim lights that marked the doors, but it shouldn't be an issue. Sewers were always dark for me.

I let go of the ceiling and let myself land on the floor.

SPLAT!

The sounds echos through the wide room. I froze in place. I tried to hear the footsteps of people taking notice of my intrusion. None came.

With a sigh of relief, I begin to look at the letters marked on the shelves. It seems that it was marked by last name. I went over to the Gs…

Suddenly, I feel a sharp presence cutting through my skin. It was undeniably strong. The intensity flooding through me quickly, driving all senses and recognition away. What was it? Anger? Displeasure? Sadness?

I look into the direction of the aura and see the dim red light of a door.

I steered away from it, running as fast as I can to find "Grime" on the shelves and hide in safety. I all over to scour for it.

"Gm.. Gn.. Go… Gr.. GR!"

I jump at the sight of finding and scour the folder. The aura became much stronger. I felt my fists clenching. My head heating. I slam the files around the shelves to search for it, but I also notice someone else. Someone who's.. quiet. And unflinching. Cold. His emotions were faint, but I could see it. There were two of them.

At long last, I finally found Mont Grimes. I slammed the file on the floor. I couldn't hear the echoing sounds anymore. All I could hear was anger and resentment. They were nearing the door.

I glance at the folder and it had a big red stamp that said "Expelled". I look at the files and switched between them one by one. Grades, Attendance, Projects.

"CREAK!"

The door opens. All the lights on the ceiling were turned on. I took the paper at the top and shoved the folder back in its spot. I quickly ran, avoiding their line of sight and tried to make as little as a sound as possible. Once that was done, I seeped into a crack on the floor for hiding..

"WE MUST DO SOMETHING HEAD MINISTER! They're going to blame us for this monster!"

"I know professor. You need not remind me of Grimes."

"When all of our efforts to make this a reputable college is on the line? Disasters in the sumps isn't our business. Anything can happen in the sumps, but.. THIS! The higher ups will know. The students talked about it now."

"Enough."

They were still conversing. I had time. I pick up the page concerning projects I dropped by my side and read.

 _"Mont Grimes was an ambitious and exceptional scientist, but too ambitious. His latest projects consisted of merging alchemy and technology in ludicrous ways. He saw in animals heightened senses that could be proven useful to humans. He researched a lot on Singed and imagined what would happen if he could change the forms and senses at will, but because of mutated animals and contamination of the promenede sewers, he w-"_

"SIR!" the professor shouts, much closer now. I dropped the paper and went back into my deep crack, watching from the faint light. "I found a missing piece."

"Well.. thank heavens. Give me that." He grabs the papers and gives it to the head minister. They both walk away from my view. "We must leave no connection professor. The sooner we destroy all record of Grimes, the faster our hands will be cleaned…"

I hear a machine beep in the distance and then the paper shreds. Its fabric ripped easily ripped apart by steel. I flinch as it's eaten up.

"Good. I hope you're right. Minister," the professor says. The footsteps begin to sound more faint with each step. Then the lights were out. I run back to the file, and it wasn't there anymore.

I slump in the hollow vault, arms laying limp, with only the 6 red door lights accompanying me in the dark.


	7. Reflection

The roachmen have given me the signal. The wretched Goopy One has fully left the realm of my sewers and into the realm of the insidious surface. They whisper that he faltered only once, at the diverging point between the path upwards and downwards. The point where he could've turned the other way before leaving to save the ungrateful humans again and again and again to no avail. He faltered.. He thought about going down here.. He hesitated.. He faltered..

Those thoughts, those hopes, echo my hollow, broken mind, seeping into the cracks as I curl up in this hideous human form. My beautiful fur, my fleas that lived there, my voice.. all of it gone. All that's left is pain and pain and pain and pain.

The transformation made skin. Made flesh. Made nerves. I feel the nails that adorned the cast on my right shoulder drilled in again, as if it was the first time. I remember the first time.. Yes.. yes..

The human fired at me first.. He hit the arm, but he was skewered eventually. I remember laying down in the pool of sticky red liquid, dried from exposure, grasping at the human's crossbow for dear life. MY crossbow. It gave me hope.. It allowed me to survive... It allowed me to thrive.. This is no better.

"He faltered.." I whisper to myself as the nerves begin to give in. "He faltered.."

I stagger myself up, holding my right arm. Blood begins to drip from my shoulder ever so quickly in the dark. I stammer to the cauldron under the green light and try to look at the reflection to see an intruder in the place of the sewer king. He had no fur on his face, no long claws.. he only had the goggles and the clothes. Even his eyes.. the eyes that he worked on to get the perfect shade of pink, were now a pathetic shade of white.

I scream at the image, splashing the water away from me, yet splashes will not magically make it disappear. It's still present, like a ghost lingering underneath my shadow, yet I must welcome it. I must make a deal with it before I kill this insufferable plague. Exterminate it forever.

I turn away, avoiding water like the plague. I must not be reminded of this. I can't shade of my skin, the bareness of my fur, the devolution of my menacing claws and teeth, ALL OF THAT IS GONE! This.. This is the role I must play..

I stagger out of my lair, holding the bloodied shoulder in my hand, sluggishly making my way to where the other plague rat was. MY plague rat! MY creation! I only had a limited amount of time before he would leave these sewers forever and I'll never see him again.

I approach the door, the new furniture that now acts as the gateway to their home. I see the faint light of a green lantern breaking through the cracks. I hear the sudden clicks that emanated from the room. It echoes in my grand tunnels, filling my head with the ideas of what he has planned. A trap of cheese to bait me into rat poison? A snaptrap to pin me down before the killing blow? Or was he practicing a physical weapon to skewer me? How brainwashed was he? How much did the surface ideas plague his mind?

"Help.." I whisper in the darkness as I approach closer. The clicking stops. "Help.." I repeat again as I move faster and faster and faster. "Help! Help! HELP!" I scream as tears form in my eyes. Where did they come from? Doesn't matter. I'm a lowly whelp. I'm a worthless human. I'm an ungrateful, pitiful wretch! This is the role I must play. This is only way I'll get them back! Please let this be the way to get them back!

Suddenly, I see the familiar green glow of the lantern goes out and the door stood silent. I run faster. "HELP! HELP! HELP!" I hit the furniture. I listen closely with my weak ears and hear nothing but his shallow breathing, trying to form a perfect lonely silence, but I was all too familiar with it to know the difference between that and this attempt.

I bang the door, desperation in my voice. "LET ME IN!" I cry. "LET ME IN!" I kept banging and banging and banging. I hear yelps here and there, but only the shallow breathing to try and maintain the silence. My arms showed their nasty disgusting veins. The sweat and tears drip as I slump on the ground by the door. "I know you're there.." I cried. " Save my pathetic life! Let me in!"

No answer. I sit there shivering and I see him through the same. Through the cracks, I see his shadow shaking with fear at this intruder. This human about to break the doors and steal what was rightfully his. Maybe taking his life..

The strand of guilt creeps over me. The malleable ghost living in the water is winning, driving everyone away. Taking my subjects away from me. He's still scared of me.. He still thinks me a monster.. Light sobs echo in the distance as I accept the life I'll have in the future.

"I'm sorry.." I mutter out. I can't let him know it's me. That would make him scared even more. "People.. people are hunting me down. And I need someplace to hide.. I have no one.."

Suddenly, I feel a piece of paper sliding through the doorway with a this line of text in rushed green crayon:

" _Go to left. Pipe in there. Hide."_

I stop to pause to look at the note before following the directions exactly, knowing where the room precisely is. I went in and sat on the floor, waiting for minutes that seemed like hours for the imaginary search party to come and go.

I look at the note again, and took out my own green crayon.

 _"Thank you. I may end up living here for my own safety. I heard the sewer king was nice here.."_

I walk over to the furniture and slid it back in. Something immediately comes out.

 _"Don't stay. Twitch will get you.."_

I stare at the cursed text, wanting to rip it apart. He already thinks me a monster. He think his own creator is like the wretched chem barons and dastardly humans of the surface. I can't give it way. I can't tear it all apart and demand respect.. I was a lowly whelp.

I begin to write.

 _"I can't go back up there.. Everyone wants to kill me.. and this is the only place I can run to. I don't have anyone up there."_

I send it back. It comes out again.

 _"Well... you have me.. Wanna hear a story? Promise me you'll give it back."_

A story? Was this what they do in here?

 _"Yes. and Yes. I like stories. What kind of stories?"_

Suddenly, I got two things sent back. A paragraph consisting of a summary and a picture of a drawing of 2 people: a giant ZAC with a superhero suit and a cape with a small rat looking at the morning sun right beside him...

I wasn't anywhere in the picture. They've already forgotten. I look back at the sewer water, and I still see him there. He was always there.

I hold the picture close before I was able to give it back. It became wet.

* * *

"WHERE IS IT? WHERE IS THE SAMPLE? IT WILL DECAY SOON.

I MUST FIND IT! IT BRINGS FREEDOM! BLUE. BLUE. BLUE. WHERE? WHERE? WHERE?

I HEAR IT RUSH DOWN THE PIPES. I SENSE IT BELOW. NOT THIS SECTOR, MUST BE NEXT!

ANYTHING TO FREE ME. FREE... FREE... FREE..."

The metal talons scratches the humid floor and the black feathers begin to shed on the water.


	8. Mont Grimes

The streets were quiet as I walk through the sector.

I hear nothing in the distance but the echoes of my footsteps in the vast canyon as they hit the pavement, cracking under my weight. It's rare for me to go out of those cramped pipes and walk outside in the open, but here we are.

I'm surprised the people moved out already. Usually it takes a while for the officials to get the folks down here to leave, but I guess people had common sense about that at this point in the sumps of Zaun. I could feel it on the way here. The feeling of someone lurking behind me. The feeling that I'm being watched above by some winged predator in the sky ready to swoop down. The shadows cut deeper into my eyesight, growing and darker and darker and darker still. I felt cold within the shade over me.. Shivering.. What was it? Was it here? Was it after me?

I turn around in the abandoned street to see nothing but the damp flickering green lamps that offered the protection of light. I grow attracted to it.. To its offer of company and exposure.

Folks are still around here. In small traces. I'm feeling their emotions.

Gotta go before they find me. I had a job to do.

I turn my head away from the light's allure and made my way along the broken path. My hands begin to shake with every step. My green gooey skin solidifies like ice with every turn. Until.. I'm here. I look up at the scarred apartment complex whose wound will never be fixed. I look up at the massive hole that marked it almost covered in yellow "Caution" band-aids in an attempt to get people to go somewhere else. It was going to be destroyed shortly. The wardens were "done" with this one, now for the next of millions.

I walk up to the glass door and opened it. Everything was turned off. Everything was quiet. I take out the shreds of paper from the college and looked at it one more time, hoping it would magically reform again so I could use it as a reference, but no such magic arrived. I made my way across the halls.

"It's okay ZAC.." I said to myself. "You can solve this mystery.. Heroes.. deal with these sort of things all the time! Hehe.. I just need to remember.."

I walk up the metal stair. They cried as I step on them. The infrastructure wasn't good enough to protect them.. I gotta keep that in mind. I look at the multiple cracks of this building and seeped into one of them, making my way up the levels.

"Ok.. So.. the guy was some science folk.. Interested in something with animals and transformation.. I.. guess?" I said as I climb up through the crack. I pop out. The third floor. I took out the shreds of paper again and simply imagined them on there. "Ok.. Science folk.. and transformation stuff.. Got it.."

I put it back in my body for safekeeping, repeating the phrases over and over again so I won't forget it. I walk to the halls an- I see a glimmer.

I see a glimmer of light in the distance. I approach slowly, fearing it's presence. I was still a monster after all. Or an omen. Or.. whatever it was now. I can't risk it.

I walk softly on the floor, not making a sound. The small glimmer became brighter and brighter until I could make out the metal handle above it. A lantern.

"Uh… sir?" I yelp out to the glimmer. "Y-you.. shouldn't really be here. I-I-It's really dangerous, and I think the building's gonna fall apart. You should really be down there pal. Lemme help you out there, pal."

No answer.

"Uh.. pal?"

No answer. What's going on?

I seep back into the cracks and go through the walls of the many rooms until I finally reached it: the room of the glimmer only to reveal.. nothing.

I popped out of the wall and landed on the floor. Though it was rubbed off, I could still feel the old presence of dried blood. I stared at the white glow of the lantern with the essence of notes and journals nearby. I took one..

* * *

 ** _Day One_**

 _I have learned the essence of it. The studies of techmaturgy taught me much, to get out of the constraints of humanity through robot and machinery, but life provides such interesting ways of adaptation as well. Should we not forget about that? …_

 ** _Day Five_**

 _…Today I've finished the potion. It's time for a test run.. Maybe people would willingly do it. For the name of progress! For the name of sci-_

 ** _Day Seven_**

 _No one's coming to the tests. I'm not desperate enough to grab subjects; I'm not like them. I'll be better. I'll.. I'll be a martyr!…_

 ** _Day Nine_**

 _..I can't feel my legs. Back feels incredible pain. yet eyesight is incredible.. ..Imagine what this would do… Further te-_

 ** _Day Eleven_**

 _..I lost speaking ability.. I lost my arms.. I may lose my head.. Must.. find replacements.._

 ** _Day Twelve_**

 _Get me out.. Get me out of this accursed body!_

 ** _Day Fourteen_**

 _..something must be made.._

 ** _Day Sixteen_**

 _..they found me.. I can't have them find me.. …Everything ruined.._

 ** _Day Seventeen_**

 _..Traces found underneath.. traces found.. traces found.._

* * *

That was it. The next pages were ripped. I feel the claw marks touching the soft paper. I close the book reluctantly and then.. I felt it. The living dread underneath.

I breathe heavily, faster and faster and faster in what seems like the middle of nowhere. The dark grows colder and colder. The shadows cut deeper and deeper. The storm came from behind as I crouch. I felt it before. On the streets. In the sewers. In my old home, but it grows. I feel the limbs stiffen. I feel myself shaking, trembling with every breathe. The storm came from behind.. It grew closer.. and closer.. and closer..

I immediately turned around and threw my arm in the dark. I feel metal. I feel feathers. And I saw the red eyes looking wildly at the sudden assault. My grip tightens.

"Sorry about that, pal! I'm not letting you get away that easily…" I growl. "You caused a lot of trouble around here.." I ready my other hand with a fist and pull him closer, ready to smash him quickly, but the claws digged into my arm. The latch between me and him was destroyed and I feel his body hitting mine, his claws digging into my body as I punched his hard head. I only hear glass broken as I feel sharp pain stabbing into my skin. I yelp a small cry.

"KILL! KILL! KILL!" it shouts erratically. I kicked him away, pushing him back to the dark door. His metallic body hitting the floor.

I dive for the small illuminating lantern. The glass breaks. Shocks absorbed in my skin, shards sticking closely, and nothing can see me.

The wretched creature storms into the door, his glowing red eyes prevalent in mine. I tried to go through the crack, but I couldn't leave without the journal. It was too important. I jump behind the bed. I see red rays looking wildly everywhere. Left and right. Up and down. I hear his steps closely.

I look out at the hole covered in yellow tape. I had to get out of here.

I readied a small slingshot and blasted my way out. The yellow tape was ripped. The burning red rays skimmed over my body before the dim lights of Zaun flooded the room.

As I fall, I hear the screech. As I fall, I hear the flapping of wings. The shadow lurking above.

I look towards the building again, and shot my arm through a window.

He begins to dive.

With my hand, I grabbed the floor, and swung myself to a lower level. Mere seconds after impact, a black flash appeared out the window, diving downwards. I run away from it, running as fast as I can from it. Turning every corridor away from his eyesight. I feel the red rays on my skin. I hear the screech of terror that echoed behind me. Glass breaking. Metallic footprints on the rise.

I had to go faster and faster. I had to find a way out. I stormed into an apartment and locked the door. The floor begins to shake. I look out the window and launch myself away.

SPLAT!

The concrete beneath me cracked under my weight. I got up to the sound of screeching above me. I run to the nearest manhole and dove back in. I run deeper and deeper in the sewers. First I felt the street above me shake. Then I could hear the crumbing of building as it tore apart buildings for me. Then I could hear the echoes of the destruction in his talons until… it was no more.

I give a sigh of relief as the feelings of adrenaline escaped me. "That was close.." I said to myself. I look up at the surface. "Hopefully everyone's far away from that place.. At least I got stuff with me.. Or.. within me.. I guess.." I give a short pause, letting me catch my breath. Letting it reach my thoughts. "…was it afraid of me?"

Suddenly, I feel pain in my right hand and stomach. The numbing feelings were drained away. I grasped at the hand.. It felt like it cracked.. It was the one I punched him with. I still remembered the claws. I still remembered the feeling of metal. It barely even made a dent..

As I got up and stumble my way back home, one phrase begins to haunt me. One phrase that's still with me…

 _"traces found underneath."_


End file.
